My Name Is Joe

A film by Ken Loach. I had my doubts before watching the film because I knew many of my socialist (are there many socialists!? -- I gotta know them all) friends have idolized Loach. I expected Loach lecturing the audience. A poor version of Oliver Stone and Spike Lee. It wasn't.

My Name Is Joe tells about former alcoholic Joe living in Glasgow. He is a coach of the worst football team (West Germany) around and can't avoid getting involved in the business of his lads. One of them is a former junkie but his wife still uses drugs. They owe awful lot of money to a local drug syndicate and the bad boys are going to break the lad's legs. Joe tries to pay the debt but ends up involving in drug trafficking. At the same time Joe has a love affair and cannot tell her what's going on behind the scenes. However, the relationship is shattered when the truth is revealed.

The film is pretty insightful view to the living conditions of poor working class. Some just don't have a choice, they "cannot go to the police" (as Joe put it) if there's trouble. Their hand is really poor and their have to deal with those cards. Some do better, some don't.
And oh yeah, expect some thick Scottish accent.